Stranding machine



Feb. 28, 1950 A. G. HARMON STRANDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9., 1948 IN VEN T OR.

Feb. 28, 1950 A. G. HARMON smmmc MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1948 72. INVENTOR. weri G/farman.

Feb. 28, 1950 A. a. HARMON 2,499,246

smnnmc MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J1 mm @714 INVENTIOR erZ Efifirmam BY I v Feb. 28, 1950 A. s. HARMON ,499,246

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Filed Aug. 9, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Hilfi 445 I fw J62 IN ENTOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRANDING MACHINE Albert G. Harmon, South Bend, Ind., asslgnor to National-Standard Company, Niles, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 9, 1948, Serial No. 43,183

1 11 Claims.

My present invention relates to an improvement in wire stranding machines, and more particularly to machines of the type in which a plurality of wires are laid together without twisting thereof to form a strand. I 5 a wire from one of the supply spools breaks, it is stranding machines are well known in the art, difncult to bring'the rotor to a stop without enand essentially comprise a tubular rotor having tangling of the broken wire about the machine. cradle means journalied therein, and which cradle It is an object of my present invention to promeans provide for the support of supply spools vide a. machine of the character described in of wire to be stranded. The conventional arwhich the aforementioned tubular rotor is disraneement fo m y ye s s n to po t pensed with to avoid the above noted and other Suitably the tubular rOtOlf for rotation about a problems involved in the rotation of a tubular horizontal axis with the cradle means being arrotor at high speeds. ranged to be restrained against rota With In order to achieve the aforesaid object, I prothe rotor by the force of gravity, so that the wires pose t provide upper and lower rotor members drawn off the supply spools are layed over each which are driven in syncm-onism in any suitable other PY rotation of the y means of a manner. In such an arrangement the upper and stranding head rotatable the rotor. A (18' lower rotor member may be of so parture from the conventional form of horizontal as t avoid t aforementioned objectionable i strander is disclosed in the copending application 20 ertia and other problem-S of the previously known Of Robert 0- Pierce, Serial No. filed May form of rotors The upper and lo er rotor em 3, 1947, which application is assigned to the asbers of my invention provide for journamng of signee of my instant application. In the appl the opposite ends of cradle means for one or more cation referred to a tubular rotor is arranged with spools of wire The construction referred to has t axis of rotation extending Yerticany an additional advantage in that the cradle means vide what may be termed a vertical strander, and is readily accessible for the replacing of exhaust the chief adyantage of which over f ed spools with fresh spools of wire which at pres- Strander resldes in its rfiquirement subs eat is provided for by the form tion of hand opentially less floor space. T e vertical arrangemen ingsm the known forms of tubular rotors. is made possible, as taught in the application last In the referred form of m invention the referred to, by the provision of magnetic means p I y up for a spool cradle and cooperating magnetic per and lower rotor members are mounted for rotation about a common vertical axis and promeans carried by a stationary part of the frame id f th a f th am spaced outwardly of and in alignment with the e or o er e means W1 1 s magnetic means of the spool cradle to prevent extendmg vertically in augment with rotation of the cradle as the wire is being drawn axis of the rotors to provlde vemcal off the supply spool journalled in the cradle. A type of machine having the previously noted further improvement in a vertical strander is disvantage of such arrangement over the usual clogs-ed in my copendmg application, serial horizontally disposed rotors and cradles. 22,072, filed April 20, 1948, in which in the con- 40 The above and Pther Objects and advantages 0f struction therein disclosed a single cradle is ar- I my inventim W111 appeal from the fOnowmg ranged to provide for the support of a pair of detaued'des criPtinspools f wire and an important advantage f Now in order to acquaint those skilled in the which resides in a more compact arrangement .of art with manner Qfconstmcting and t iz and reduction of the number'of parts to the end 4 Wire Strandmg machmes in accordance Wlth my of providing a machine of less vertical height, as invention, I shall describe in connection with well as one which is more economic to manufacthe accompanying drawings certain p rr t 1 I embodiments ofv my invention:

Inthe several machines above referred to, the Fi ure 118 a Si elev ion l Vi w f D r n rotatable rotors impose limitations on the speeds a stranding machine embodying my invention;

at which the machines may be safely operated due to inertia characteristics oi the rotors. and further, if operated at excessive speeds the tubular rotors are subject to undue strain and, in fact,

may be distorted so that the machines do not 2 operate satisfactorily at high speeds. Slowing down of the machines to safe operating limits sacrifices the production of linear feet of strand for a given time and, furthermore, in the event Figure 2 is an end elevational view of, the portion of the apparatus shown in Figure l, partly 3 is journalled in the upper and lower rotor members.

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and illustrating primarily permanent magnet means provided for preventing rotation of the cradle of the machine;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the upper rotor member of the machine of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the upper rotor member of the machine of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 7 is a detail fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Figure 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 8 is a largely diagrammatic side elevational view with certain parts being broken away and shown in section of another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 9 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Figure 8, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 10 is a detail vertical sectionalview taken substantially along the line Ill-l of Figure 9, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown in Figure 1 a portion of one form of a stranding machine in which my invention is embodied. The stranding machine of this embodiment of my invention includes frame means indicated generally at 8 comprising a main frame, partially shown at 9, and a sub-frame II). It will be understood that the main frame 9 further comprises a suitable base structure for supporting the machine on the floor and only that part of the main frame necessary to an understanding of my invention is shown in the drawings. The main frame 9, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, is provided with a vertically extending reinforcing rib II at the opposite ends of which integral boss portions l2 and I3 are provided for supporting and rotatably mounting a vertically extending drive shaft 14. The drive shaft I4 has upper and lower pulleys I and of identical size and shape secured thereto, and a drive pulley I1 is secured adjacent the lower end of the drive shaft 14 below the pulley I9. A belt I1 is trained about the pulley l1 and the belt I1 is adapted to be driven by an electric motor (not shown) for rotating the drive shaft l4 and the pulleys I 5 and IS.

The sub-frame 19 comprises a vertically extending U-shaped portion l3 and is mounted to extend laterally of the main frame 9 by means of a plurality of screws l9 threaded in the U- shaped portion I9, and the shanks of which screws pass through horizontally extending slots 20 formed in bracket members 22 which are secured to the main frame 9 as by the screws 23. The U-shaped portion l9 provides for the passage therethrough of the drive shaft l4 and the screws l9 provide for rigidly supporting the sub frame in adjusted position laterally of the main frame 9 by sliding movement in the slots 24 of the brackets 22. Adjusting screws 24 and 29 are provided between the upper and lower boss portions l2 and I 3 of the main frame 9 and the sub-frame l9, and have adjustment nuts 29 to provide for aligning the sub-frame l0 vertically and laterally of the main frame 9.

The sub-frame I, as best shown in Figure 1, comprises upper and lower fork-shaped portions 21 and 23 which each support a pair of ball bearing assemblies indicated at 29 and 30, respectively, for rotatably mounting an upper rotor member 3!. and a lower rotor member 32 about a common vertical axis.

A pulley 33 is splined to the shaft portion 34 of the upper rotor 3| between the pair of bearing assemblies 29 laterally opposite the upper pulley 15 on the drive shaft l4. The pulleys l5 and 33 are provided with positive drive teeth of gear form and of the same size and shape, and an endless belt 35 is trained about these pulleys. The belt 35, as shown, is formed with integral cleats or gear-shaped teeth 36 having positive driving engagement with the drive teeth of the pulleys I5 and 33 to provide for the positive drive of the upper rotor 3i by the drive shaft l4.. The lower rotor 32 has a pulley 31 keyed to the shaft portion 39 thereof between the pair of ball bearing assemblies 30. The pulley 31 is identical to pulley 33 and has positive drive teeth with which the cleats 38', of an endless belt 39, identical with belt 35, have positive driving engagement, and which belt 39 is trained over the pulley l9 which also has positive drive teeth to provide for the positive drive of the lower rotor 32. By virtue of the above construction, the upper and lower rotors 3i and 32 are caused to be driven in synchronism.

A spool cradle means generally indicated at 40 comprises spaced vertical side frame members 42 and is formed with reduced upper and lower end portions 43 and 44, respectively, which are journalled in ball bearing assemblies 45 and 46 in the upper and lower rotors 3| and 32. The cradle means 49 is thus supported with its vertical axis aligned with the common vertical axis of rotation of the upper and lower rotors 31 and 32, respectively. In this form of my invention the cradle means 49 is designed for the support of a pair of spools 41 and 49 disposed in vertical tandem relation, and which spools are rotatably mounted on shafts 49 and 59, respectively, extending between the side frames 42 and providing axes of rotation for the spools 41 and 48 extending transversely of and at right angles to the common vertical axis of rotation of the upper and lower rotors 3| and 32. The shafts 49 are removably mounted in the spool cradle means 40 by means of clamp plates 5| slidably mounted outwardly of the side frames 42, and which clamp plates are formed with keyhole slots 52 engageable in annular grooves at the ends ofshafts 49 and 59 opposite the enlarged heads 53 thereof which engage boss portions 54 of the side frames 42. The clamp plates 5| are normally urged downwardly by coil springs 55 secured to the lower ends of the clamp plates 5| and anchored on pins 56 fixed to the side frames. The clamp plates 5| are formed with guide slots 51, and screws 59 threaded in the side frames 42 have the shank portions thereof extending through the slots 51 for guiding the vertical movement of the clamp plates 5|. The clamp plates 5! at their upper ends are provided with laterally outwardly projecting lug portions 59 for moving the clamp plates upwardly to align'the ends of the shafts 49 and 59 with the enlarged openings of the keyhole slots 52 against the force of springs 55, so that the shafts 49 and 59 maybe removed by grasping the enlarged heads 53 and drawing the shafts laterally outwardly of the cradle, spool means 48. The spools 41 and 48 also have associted therewith brake means of suitable construction. The brake means referred to and as embodied in my present invention comprise brake drums 68 carried at one of the ends of each of the spools 41 and 48 and with which drums leather brake bands shown at 62 have frictional braking engagement. Each brake band 62 is suitably anchored at one end to an anchor pin 83 fixed to a side frame 42 and at its other end is connected at one end of a coil spring 84, and which coil spring. at its other end is connected to a crank arm 85 fixed to a tubular member 88. The tubular members 88 for the brakes for each spool are rotatably supported in coaxialiy aligned and abutting relation on a shaft 81 supported at its opposite ends in bosses 88 integral with the side walls 42. Sensing fingers 88 are secured to the tubular members 86, and are adapted to engage the periphery of the coils of wire on the spools 41 and 48 to control the degree of braking force of the brake bands 82 on the brake drums 68 by varying the tension of the springs 84 as a function of the diameter of the coil of wire on the spools. As described in the application last referred to, the coil springs 84 are effective for biasing the detector fingers 88 into engagement with the periphery of the coils of wire on the spools, and for frictionally engaging the brake bands 62 with the brake drums 68. The arrangement is such that as the diameter of the coil of wire on a spool decreases, the extent of the braking force applied by a coil spring 84 to a brake band 82 on a drum 88 decreases and provides for withdrawing out the wire from the spool under substantially uniform tension. The brake means for the upper and lower spools 41 and 48 are arranged with the brake drums 88 thereof disposed inwardly of opposite side frames 42 of the cradle means 48, which arrangement provides for the convenient disposal of the tubular members 68 carrying the sensing fingers 68 about the common supporting shaft 61 extending transversely between the side frames, and with the sensing fingers 88 disposed in laterally offset relation enabling the compact arrangement of the pair of spools 41 and 48 in the single spool cradle means 48.

The stranding machine in which my invention has been embodied is a three-wire strander providing for the stranding of wires 18, H and 12. The wire 18 is drawn from the coil of wire supported by the upper spool 41 through the upper rotor 3| which, as best shown in Figure 7, is provided with lengthwise extending bore 13 extending angularly outwardly from. the hub portion 14 to the upper outer end of the shaft portion 34 of the upper rotor.

A conventional form of header post 15 is secured to the outer end of the shaft portion 34 of the upper rotor 3|, and the header post at its outer end carries a three-wire header member 18 formed with conventional guide slots inwardly from the periphery thereof for the guiding of the wires to be stranded. The wire H from spool 48 extends downwardly through the opening 11 formed centrally in the bottom end wall of the spool cradle 48 and is trained about a plurality of guide rollers 18 carried in a member 18 supported on the lower rotor 32 in a transverse recess therein to provide for disposing the wire H in its upper vertical run outwardly of the periphery of the spool cradle means 48. The upper rotor 8| comprises, as best shown in Figure 5, a pair of downwardly and outwardly-nextendin members 88 and 8I formed" along their r edges with guide slots 82 and 88 The II, as shown in the figure last refere u in 5 over a guide roller 83' at the outer low'er' slot 82 and an upper guide roller 8 at tl'ie pper end of the inwardly and upwardly exte "ding lot 82. The wire 1I then passes thr'ough i'a. v tically extending grooves 85 at one side; of th shaf tion 34 of the rotor 3| and through the head r post 15 and header member 18. The upper rotoi' 3I is initially positioned so that the -arm W m; ber 88 is disposed .to align the slot 82 thereof-witl l the member 18 and guide rollers 18 of the latter to guide the wire vertically from t iowefirot to the upper rotor. I

The wire 12 is adapted to be drawn roin' spool (not shown) but which is supporte' conventional manner below the- 's'ub either from the main frame 9 or-fo'the'r supp ing structure. The tail spool frox'nwhich he wire 12 is drawn is also preferably provided an automatic brake means sucli' as described the spools 41 and 48, in order o=- provia stranding of the three wires 18, TI nd' 12 under} uniform tension. The wire 12, as slidtv'r'r'i extends} vertically upwardly through bore 81 inthe haft portion 38 of the lower rotor 32*andfis* n'ed over a guide roller 88 journalled in'the tra sv 's'e recess of the lower rotor 32 and'ex'tend'slat any and upwardly outwardly of the lower row and then about a guide roller 88 providing dis posing the wire 12 outwardly of theperiphery of the spool cradle means 48 and aiametric'anyod posite the wire 1|. The wire 12-; as'best in Figure 5, is guided over a guicl'e ren -r190 at the lower outer end of the arm' -member '8I' fof the upper rotor 3|, and passes through-"the 'guide' slot 83 thereof to be guided bya roller 92;: journalled adjacent the upper end'ofthe angular- 1y inwardly extending guide slot aa for' passage through a lengthwise extending bore 93exteriding angularly inwardly and upwardl -.s through and" thence to the header post-15 and therwirelfeader 18. The strand formed by the threewires 18.

the shaft portion 34 of the upperrotor' I and 12 is, of course, reeled uponiassuitable for of take-up reel supported above "the n'iaclr in and such take-up is suitably driven for drawin 58 the several wires through the paths' 'above de-i scribed. Referring to Figure 4,-it:.-w 1.1. e. e that the guide rollers 84 and 32Fare supported;

for rotation in the upper rotorv=member 3t by screws 84 and 35, respectively, andthat the-uppr rotor member is provided with bores' 88' and 91- extending inwardly of the hub portion a'n'd "at right n l s to he g ooves 82 and83andthroughwhich bores the guide rollers. 84 'r and az are adapted to be assembled in the upper rotori'31. :a; In order to prevent the spool cradle means from? rotating with the upper and lower rotors, I provide ing arms I84 each provide for the support of a permanent magnet I81, and the magnets I81 are arranged in diametrically opposed relation 76 with the poles thereof in alignment with the plusome It will be observed from the above detail de-' scription of one preferred form of my invention that I have provided a stranding machine comprising synchronously driven upper and lower rotors which eliminate the previously noted ob- Jectionable features of the previously known forms of tubular rotors of prior machines. above described guide means for guiding the wire 12 from the tail spool of the apparatus, and together with the provision of the guide means in the lower rotor for the wire 'II from the lower spool 40 provides for disposing the wires outwardly of the periphery of the spool cradle means 40 in their travel to the upper rotor and the'header post and wire header member at the upper end of the upper rotor 3|. The arrangement of the permanent magnets I and I0! in aligned spaced relation of the poles thereof provides a path for the wires II and 12 in their rotation with the upper and lower rotors, and with the construction referred to provides for restraining-the spool cradle means against rotation to prevent twisting of the wires withdrawn from the upper and lower spools in the cradle in the stranding thereof by the apparatus described.

Referring now to Figures 8 through 10, I have arms II9 of the frame I". A gear I is splined in the shaft portion of the rotor H3 and is disposed intermediate the pair of ball bearing assemblies H5, and a gear I22 identical with gear I20 is secured to the lower rotor between the ball bearing assemblies H0. The gears I20 and I22 have meshing engagement respectively with gears I23 and I24, secured to a vertically extending drive shaft I which may be rotated in any desired manner, for example, by suitable connection with an electric motor. Th gears I23 and I24 are of identical construction, so that upon rotation of the shaft I25 the upper and lower rotors H3 and 4 are caused to be driven in synchronism.

As before, a suitable cradle, shown at I25, is lournalled at its upper end in a ball hearing assembly I20 in the upper rotor II3, and at its lower end in a ball bearing assembly I20 in the lower rotor H4. The cradle I25 provides for the rotatable support of an upper spool I20 and a lower spool I30, and a third spool I32 is rotatably supported on a bracket I33 suitably secured to the supporting frame for the machine. The machine H0 is also designed for the stranding of three wires I35, I and I31 drawn re- The - 8 spectively from thespools I25, I33 and I32. The wire I35isdrawnfromthecoilofwire carried by the upper cradle spool I23 through the upper end of the cradle I25. A pair of hardened annular steel'inserts I33 aremounted in a bore at the upper end of the cradle I25 through which the wire I35 passes. The wire I35, as best shown in Figure 10, then passes through an angularly onset bore I in the upper rotor, an opening in a guide plate member I42 fixed to the upper rotor II3 immediately below the lower ball hearing assembly. III and thence through a groove I44 to the wire laying head member I45 mounted at the upper end of the upper rotor I I3.

The wire I30 from the lower cradle spool I30 passes downwardly through a bore in the lower end of the cradle I25 in which hardened annular steel inserts I45 are mounted. The wire I30 is then guided about rollers I46 suitably secured in a transverse opening in lower rotor II4, then passes vertically upwardly to a guide roller I43 carried at the outer end of the downwardly and outwardly projecting arm I43 of the upper rotor H3, and then through another opening in the guide plate I42 and through the vertically extending groove I50 t0 the wire laying head I45. The wire I31 from the tail spool I32 is drawn through the lower end of the lower rotor II4 through hardened steel inserts I52 in a bore in the lower end of-the latter, and is then trained over a guide roller I53 carried by the lower rotor II4 diametrically opposite the rollers I40 for the wire I35, thence vertically upwardly to the guide roller I54 carried at the outer end of an arm I55 diametrically opposite arm I40 of the rotor I I3, and thence through the guide plate I42 and through still another opening in the lengthwise extending groove I50 of the upper rotor II3 to the wire laying head I 45. I

The cradle I25, as in the previous embodiment, has a permanent magnet I00 secured to the lower end thereof and with respect of which a pair of permanent fixed magnets I02 are arranged to provide for restraining the cradle I25 against rotation. The permanent magnets I52 provide, with the permanent magnet I50, gaps or passageways I03 in which the wire I30 from the lower cradle spool I30, and the wire I3'I from the tail spool I32 pass in the rotation of the upper and lower rotors. The permanent magnets I02 may, for example, be mounted in fixed relation on the frame of the machine in the manner described in connection with the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1 through 7.

The operation of the apparatus of Figures 8 through 10 is the same as that previously described, and it will be seen that by the provision of identical gears I20 and I22 for the upper and lower rotors H3 and H4, having meshing engagement with identical gears I23 and I24 carried by the drive shaft I25, the upper and lower rotors are caused to be driven in synchronism to effect laying of the three strands of wire I35, I30 and The essential difference between the machine shown in Figures 8 through 10 over that of the embodiment first described resides in the provision of the positive gear'drive means for driving the upper and lower rotors in synchronism, and if desired the other parts of the apparatus may be identical to those described in the first embodiment, in view of which the supporting frame structure for the several parts of the machine I I0 have not been illustrated in detail in connection with the Figures 8 through 10. The two embodi- 9- ments of 'my invention herein disclosed embody different forms of positive drive means'for synchronously driving the upperand lower rotors, and it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the specific forms of such drive means for other forms thereof will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various modifications and rearrangements may be made therein without departing from the'spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a wire stranding machine, the combination of frame means, upper and lower rotor members journalled in spaced vertical relation on said frame means about a common vertical axis, cradle means extending between and journalled at its opposite ends in said rotor members and with its lengthwise axis aligned with the axis of rotation of said rotor members, spools adapted to carry coils of wire mounted for rotation in said cradle means with their axes extending transversely of the lengthwise axis of said cradle means, guide means for said rotor members for guiding a strand of wire from one of said spools through said lower rotor and vertically upwardly to said upper rotor outwardly of. the periphery of said cradle means. drive means for said rotor members for driving the latter in synchronism, first magnetic means fixed to said cradle means, and second magnetic means supported in fixed relation on said frame means in alignment with said first magnetic means for preventing rotation of said cradle means, said second magnetic means being spaced from said first magnetic means to provide a gap therebetween for passage of said strand of wire from said lower rotor to said upper rotor and a sub-frame supported on said'main frame to extend laterally of the latter, upper and lower rotor members journalled in spacedvertical re-i lation on said sub-frame about a common vertical axis. cradle means for carrying spools of wire extending between and journalled at its opposite ends of said rotor'members and with its lengthwise axis aligned with the axis ,of rotation'of J'- said rotor members, and drive means for said" rotor members comprising a drive shaft extend-' ing parallel with the axis of rotation of said rotor rotor members journalled in spaced vertical rev lation on said sub-frame about a common vertical 4. In a wire stranding machine, the combination of frame means, a pair ofrotor members journalled in spaced apart relation for rotation about a common axis on said frame means, cradle means for carrying spools of wire journalled coaxially of the axis of rotation of said rotor members, guide means for guiding a wire from at least one of the spools of wire in a substantially cylindrical path outwardly of said cradle means and toward one end of said machine, a wire laying head at said one end of said machine for laying the wires from said spools over each other, drive means for driving said rotors in synchronism, and means for preventing rotation of said spool cradle means with said rotor means.

5. The machine of claim 4 characterized by the provision of means for supporting an additional spool of wire at the end of said machine opposite said one end thereof, and additional guide means for said rotor members for guiding the wire from said last named spool of wire diametrically opposite of and in the cylindrical path of the first mentioned wire.

6. In a wire stranding machine, the combination of frame means, a pair of rotor members journalled in spaced apart vertical relation for rotation about a common vertical axis on said frame means, cradle means for carrying spools of wire journalled coaxially of the vertical axis of rotation of said rotor members, guide means for said rotor members for guiding a wire from at least one of the spools of wire of said cradle means in a substantially cylindrical path .out-

wardly of said cradle means and toward one end 40 I 2. In a wire stranding machine, the combinai tion of frame means comprising-a main frame,.

of said machine, a wire laying head at said one end of said machine for laying the wires from said spools over each other, drive means for driving said rotors in synchronism. and means for preventing rotation of saidspool cradle means with said rotor means. 1

.7. The'machine of claim-6' characterized by the provision of means for supporting an additional spool of wire at the other end, of said machine,

' and additional guide means for said rotor members for guiding thewire from said last named spool of wire diametrically opposite of and in the cylindrical path of the first mentioned wire.

f 8; The stranding machine of claim ,4 characterized by said driveimeanscomprising a drive shaft extending parallel with the axis of rotation drive! shaft.

axis, cradle means for carrying spools of? wire-l extending between and journalled at its -opposite ends of said rotor members and with its lengthwise axis aligned with the axis of rotation of said rotor members, and drive means for said' rotor members comprising a drive shaft extending parallel with the axis of rotation of said rotor members and journalled in said main frame, means between said drive shaft and said rotor members for driving the latter in synchronism, and means between said sub-frame and said main frame for adjusting said sub-frame laterally of said main frame.

-9. The wire stranding machine of claim 4 characterized by said drive means comprising a first pair of like pulleys secured one to each of said rotor members, a drive shaft extending parallel with the axis of rotation of said rotor members, a second pair of like pulleys one secured to each of saidv rotor members, said pulleys having uniformly spaced drive teeth, and belt means hetween-one each of said first and second pairs of pulleys and having cleats for engaging the drive teeth of'said pulleys whereby said rotor members are caused to be driven in synchronism.

10. The stranding machine of claim 6 characterized by said'drive means comprising a drive shaft extending parallel with the axis of rotation. of said rotor members, and gear means between said rotor members and said drive shaft for effecting rotation of said rotor members by i said drive shaft.

pair of like pulley;r1 securedflonetzo cullgeach o! :51: UNIIID STATES PATENTS rotormem rs,a vesha e n par e with the axis of rotation oi. said rotor members. gg g g? Rb 5 said pulleys having uniformly spaced drive teeth, 1 480.207 "5;""" h 1m and belt means between one each of said first 5 455 B0 m2 and second pulleys and having cleats for engag- 6 1m ing the drive teeth of said pulleys whereby said 2:233'645 smith 1941 rotor members are caused to be driven in syn- 2.3311648 a 5 19 chronism.

ALBERT G. HARMON. 10

. REFERENCES arm!) The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

